Sister of Mercy Mary Judith Schmelz, chemistry professor and school administrator, dies at 99 September 13, 2024By Catholic Review Staff Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Local News, News, Obituaries, Uncategorized A funeral Mass was offered Sept. 11 at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart for Sister of Mercy Mary Judith Schmelz, who died Sept. 4 at Convent at Springwell, her community’s retirement home in Mount Washington. She was 99. A Sister of Mercy for 78 years, she carried out a ministry that took her from several roles in education to serving as a missionary in Guyana. Born in Baltimore, Jean Margaret Schmeltz was the daughter of a mechanical engineer and homemaker. In September 1945, she entered the Sisters of Mercy at Mount Washington in 1945 and completed her studies at Mount Saint Agnes College, graduating with a degree in chemistry. Sister Mary Judith taught science for several years, including at St. Bernard School in Baltimore, before becoming a chemistry instructor at Mount Saint Agnes. She earned masters and doctoral degrees from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., and continued teaching at Mount Saint Agnes for more than a decade, before beginning work in school administration in 1966. She worked as academic dean and administrator at her alma mater and continued that work when Mount Saint Agnes merged with Loyola College (now Loyola University Maryland) in 1971. In 1976, Sister Judith was elected to the leadership team for the Baltimore Province for the Sisters of Mercy, a position she held for two terms. In 1982, Sister Judith initiated The Learning Bank of COIL, a community-based adult literacy program with one-on-one instruction in many areas of life, including parenting, job training and eventually computer skills. At age 75 in 2000, she began a 19-year ministry in Greater Georgetown, Guyana, teaching biochemistry to young women who were preparing to be nurses and fulfilling a childhood dream to work as a missionary. Read More Obituaries Jesuit Father Vincent de Paul Alagia dies at 99 Sister Sigrid Simlik, former teacher in Baltimore, dies at 97 A silent life behind three popes: Farewell to Angelo Gugel, the iconic papal butler John L. Allen Jr.: A Man for All Seasons, at a Roman Table Crux editor, veteran Vatican journalist John Allen loses battle with cancer Father Zanardini, top missionary anthropologist among Indigenous groups, dies in Paraguay at 83 Copyright © 2024 Catholic Review Media Print
